Surface decorating apparatus



Oct. 17, 1939. E. w. HAMANT SURFACE DECORATING APPARATUS Filed June 24, 19:58 4 Shets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

frame/20 h Harm/7r BY 4,22 WWifZa/Q ATTORNEYS I Oct. '17, 1939.

E. W. HAMANT SURFACE DECORATING APPARATUS Filed June 24, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet JimiiiiiE-iii INVENTOR. Z7WHED h/ Harm/Yr A ORNE'Y5 Oct. 17, 1939. I w I-LAMANTv 2,176,765

I 'SURFACE DECORATING APPARATUS Filed June 24, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig.6

1 N VE NTOR. EDn fl/PD M Mwm/YT ATTORNEYS Oct. 17, 1939. I w HAMANT v 2,176,765

' SURFACE DECORATING APPARATUS Filed. June 24, 1938 4 Sheejzs-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

AT'ITORNEYS Patented Oct. 17, 1939 j UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE SURFACE moii fioupmhos Edward William Hamant, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to-Oxford Varnish Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application June 24, 1938, 'Serial No. 215.658 12 Claims. (01. 101 -154) This invention relates to improvements in surnism, hereinafter to be more fully described. Exface decorating machines and to an improved surtending longitudinally of and journalled in the face decorating machine which will decorate a support I!) is a shaft l8, the ends of which are plurality of surfaces simultaneously. These, threaded with right and left-hand threads,respec- '5 therefore, are the general objects of the present tively, and which engage internally threaded 5 invention. members l9, secured to the base of corresponding A more specific object of this invention is to decorating units I5, It, as shown in Fig. 3. At provide an improved surface decorating mechaone end of the shaft l8 there is provided a hand nism of the vertical rolltype, in which the variwheel 20, the rotation of which causes the deco- 10 ous rolls may be quickly removed for replacement rating units to be moved toward or away from 10 or storage purposes, each other, thus enabling the decoration of the Another object of this invention is to provide an opposite faces of articles having different widths. efficient driving mechanism for a surface deco- The various mechanisms of the decorating unit, rating machine, which mechanism will facilitate hereinafter to be described, are driven by a motor the removal of thedecorating rolls. 2|, mounted in the support Hi. This motor is 15 A further object of the present invention is to C nected w th a Speed reduc ng unit 22 by a drivprovide an improved surface decoratingmechaing belt or chain 23. The speed reducing unit is nism with a roll scraping mechanism which may drivingly CO m y a Chain With a p e be readily moved to position the scraper blade for w ch s Secured to a drive Shaft j ed honing without affecting the adjustment of the in. earings 21, car y he support In. The 20 scrapers or the driving connection which 'recip- Sp et s embraced y the bearing us rocates uch crapers, preventing axial movement of the shaft 26. This Other objects and features of this invention will shaft has a spli connection W a P Of ea -5 become more apparent from the following descrip- 8 which ar rotatably mOuhted in p t ve 15 tion, which relates to a preferred embodiment of bearing e s u ed to especti decoratthe invention, as illustrated in the accompanying ihg u s the Power is tted to both drawings. The essential features of the invention decorating units regardless of their posit o relawill be summarized in the claims. tive to the suppctrt l0. In the drawings; Inasmuch as the decorating units are substan- 30 Fig. 1 is a front elevationof my improved tially identical, only one will be described, and 30 decorating mechanism; Fig. 215 a plan view of the corresponding parts of other units are indicated in machine, certain parts being broken aw y t the drawings by identical reference characters. more clearly illustrate the internal construction; The y material difference etw en the two Fig; 3 is avertical section,as indicated by the line units is that one is a ri lit-hand unit and the 3-3 on Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail illusother a left-hand unit. us the work-engaging 85 trating the mechanism for retaining the scraper members of the respective units face each other,

unit in an active position:v Figs. Sand 6 are vertiso that the opposite faces of a workpiece may be cal. sections, the planes of which areindicated by decorated by passing the work'between the two the correspondingly numbered lines on Fig. 3; units, 1

40 Fig- 7 is a a i the p e f t s tion Each decorating unit is provided with a. pattern 40 P mdlcatedby the hue on 2; 8 roll 30 and a transfer roll 3|. These rolls are 1sa fragmentary transverse sectional detail, the supported by the base, with their axes substam giig g g bemg mdmated by the line tially vertical. Each roll is so supported that it is F readily removable from the machine, and special 40 for decorating a plurality of vertical or nearly of a mu dnvmg meqhamsin to facmtate Such vertical surfaces. In general, the machine com removal latter Important feature of prises a Support I, provided with longitudinally. the mach ne, inasmuch as it is often desirable to extending guideways ll. Slidably mounted in change the Pattern and thus the design which is 60 this guideway are a pair of spaced decorating to be transferred to the work. Itislikewise desirunits l5 and I6. able to remove the offset roll when the machine is Each decorating unit comprises a base 11, which shut down so that the roll may be stored in such a. slidably coacts with the guideway II and which P i that the transfer ma r011 coating carries a. pattern transfer or decorating mechawill not bulge at one end of the roll. This may I through which a shaft 43 extends.

The pattern roller and its mountingis best illus-' trated in Figs. 3 and 6. As there shown, the pattern roller 36 comprises a cylinder 46, supported by end plates4 I having hub formations 42 One of these hub formations, for instance the upper formation, is provided with a key-way 44, arranged to receive a key 45 carried by the shaft, and thus drivingly connectingthe shaft to the roll. The pattem 44:; generally comprises an intaglio printing plate and is carried by the cylinder 46 in the usual manner. It is to be noted that the boss 42 at the lower end of the, pattern roll is slightly enlarged, as indicated at 45a, and normally rests on a boss 46 formed on the base of the unit. The arrangement is such that the roll shaft 43 can be removed by drawing it upwardly from the roll, whereupon the roll will rest in a vertical position on the boss 46 until removed from the mechanism by the operator.

The pattern roll is driven from the power shaft 26. As illustratedin Fig. 1, the bevelled pinion 28, heretofore described, as being driven by the power shaft 26, meshes with a similar bevelled pinion 41, journalled on a. stub shaft 48, carried by the base l1 of the decorating unit. Drivingly connected to this gear 41, by a drive chain 49,

is a sprocket wheel 56. This sprocket wheel is secured to a shaft 5|, which is journalled in suitable bearings 52 depending from the base I1.

The inner end of the shaft 52 is provided with a bevel pinion 53, which meshes with a bevelled gear 54, carried on the vertically extending shaft 55, 'joumalled in abearing bracket 56 secured to v the base I1 immediately below the aXIlS Of the pattern roll. The upper end of the shaft 55 extends partially into the top of the base of the decorating unit, as shown on Fig. 6, and is provided with a transversely, extending slot 56a arranged to be engaged by a tongue 51 formed on the lower end of the pattern roll shaft 43, thus establishing a driving connection between the power shaft 26 and the pattern roll. The shaft 43 is mounted at its upper end in a combined gear unit 66 which in turn is journalled in an upper frame member 6|, supported by vertically extending frame, members 62 (Figs. 3 and 5).

The transfer roll comp s a cylinder 66, hay-i ing a pair of end plates 66-, ough which a shaft 61 extends. This shaft is drivingly secured to one of the end plates by a key 68. The cylinder is provided with a covering of transfer material 69, preferably a glue and glycerin or similar compound which will remove ink from a pattern and transfer it to a workpiece with a. high degree of accuracy. I

The transfer roll is mounted so that it may be swung toward or away from the pattern roll. To this end the shaft 61 is journalled at its upper and lower ends in respective bracket members 16, which are pivotally mounted at one end on one ofthevertical frame members 82 as shown in Fig. 7. At their other ends the bearing members 16 are tied together by a bar 1I.

The transfer roll is resiliently maintained in contact with the'pattern roll by a pair of springs,

.tie bar H of the transfer roll support.

To enable the transfer roll to be moved out of contact with the pattern when the machine is not in use, without disturbing the adjustment between the two rolls, I provide a cam 15 which is pivoted as at 16 with the vertical frame member 62, and may be swung into the position shown in Fig. 1, with the surface 11 thereof, abutting a pin 18, carried by the tie bar H, and thus maintain the transfer roll spaced from the pattern roll.

As heretofore mentioned, the upper end of the pattern roll shaft is journalled in a combined sprocket unit 66. As shown in Fig. 6, this unit comprises a sprocket 86, which extends through and is journalled inthe upper frame member 6|,

secured to the hub of the sprocket beneath the a pinion 266 on the ink pump hereinafter described. The sprocket 86 is dr'ivingly connected by a chain 8I to an idler sprocket 93 secured to a gear 94. The gear 94 meshes with a pinion", carried by a gear unit 84. The gear unit 84 is best illustrated in Fig. 7, and, as there shown,

provided with openings 96, to receive a shaftlike extension 9| which is secured to the base.

of the decorating unitjas at 92 (Fig. 7), and the shaft 61 of the transfer roll respectively.

As heretofore mentioned, the transfer roll is arranged to be readily removed. For this purpose, the bearings 16 are split, as shown in Fig. 8. One member 16a of each of these bearings is pivotally mounted to the main member 16, as indicated at 95, and is provided with a bifurcated end 96 arranged to be-fixed to a swinging stud 91, pivoted to the main bearing member as at 98, and provided with a. knurled clamping nut 99. Thus, when it is desired to. remove the transfer roll, the gear .unit 84 is lifted bodily from the shafts 61 and 9|, as indicated in Fig. 7, and the bearing member 16a released, whereupon the roll and the shaft may be readily removed from the decorating mechanism as a unit. The driving connection between the shaft61 and the sprocket 81 comprises a pin I66, carried by the sprocket 81, and arranged to seat in a transversely extending slot I 6| in the transfer roll shaft.

The pattern is inked by any suitable-mechanism. However, I prefer to utilize a reservoir I66,such as is shown in Fig. 1 at I65. This reservoir is secured to one of the vertical frame members 62, by suitable bracket. Also secured to the frame member 62; as by brackets I66, is a cylinder I61. the lower end of which is contained within the reservoir. Rotatably mounted in the cylinder is a lift scrw I68, which raises the material out of the reservoir and moves it toward the upper end of the cylinder I61, where it is ejected through an orifice or jet I69, onto the pattern roll. The ink then flows freely downwardly along the pattern and is distributed thereover by a scraper mechanism, hereinafter to be described. The lift screw I68 has a gear 266 at its upper end which meshes with the gear 82 heretofore described, thus drivingthe lift screw from the pattern roll. I

The scraper-mechanism not only distributes '16 frame member 6| is a gear 82, which meshes with 1 the ink on the pattern but also excess ink from the pattern. A similar scraper removes from the transfer roll such ink as remains thereon after the impression has been made. This scraper mechanism is best illustrated in Figs. 1, 3 and.5. As there shown, the scraper comprises a pair of blades H and III, each of which is supported between a pair of vertically extending plates II which are provided with suitable bracket formations H3 to enable the scraper blade .to be pivotally mounted on a vertically extending rod Ill carried by a pivotally mounted bracket I I9. I Suitable springs H5 which are interposed between the scraper blade mounting member and vertical frame member 62, serve to resiliently draw the scraper blades into contact with the pattern and transfer rolls, respectively. a

.When the machine is not in operation the scraper blades are moved away from their respective rolls. As indicated .in Figs. 2 and 3, a cam H6 which carries a pair of rollers llll may be moved into engagement with the scraper supporting plates M2 to separate the scrapers from their respective rolls. The cam H6 is mounted on a shaft lid journalled in the bracket H9, hereinafter to be more fully described and is provided with a handle in to facilitate manual operation of the cam.

To facilitate honing of the scraper blades and thereby eliminate any roughening of the bladesas may have resulted from the scraping action, both scraper blades'and their supporting bracket are mounted to move as a unit about a horizontal pivot, thus enabling them to be tilted on the dotted line position indicated in Fig. 3. As heretofore mentioned, the scraper blades are mounted on a supporting rod lid. The lower end of this rod is of a reduced diameter, as indicated at I2I, and is mounted in the bracket H9, heretofore mentioned. This bracket is pivotally mounted on a, transversely extending pin I22 carried by upstanding lug formations I23 of the base ll.

The upper end of the rod Ht which supports the decorating unit is journalled in a bushing I24, which is rotatably mounted in the upper frame member 6 I, heretofore described. Both the frame members and the bushing are slotted, as indicated at I25 in Fig. 4, so that when the bushing is rotated to move the slots out of registration, as indicated in that figure, the rod H4 will be locked in a vertical position. To retain the bushing I24 inthe frame member 8|, the bushing is provided with an annular groove I26, arranged to be engaged by a set screw I21 carried by the frame member. A handle I28 is provided by means of which the bushing may be readily rotated. Thus,

2 when it is desired to hone the scraper blades the bushing I24 is rotated until the slots I25 come into registration, each with the other, whereupon the entire assembly may be moved to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. If an excessive amount of honing is required the blades and the rod H4 may be lifted out of the tilted bracket and a new unit installed. A

As heretofore mentioned, the scraper blades are reciprocated axially relative to the transfer and the pattern rolls. A plunger I30 is mounted in the base of the decorating unit in axial alignment with the rod II4.. Secured to this plunger are apa'ir of pins I3I, which extends upwardly throughsuitable openings I32 in the top of the base and are in alignment with a corresponding pair of pins I33, which are slidably mounted in the scraper mounting bracket H9. The plunger I30, and therefore both pair'of pins, are reciprocated by a lever I35. This lever is pivoted as at I36 to the base I! and is provided with a roller .I3'I, which is engaged by a cam I38, carried by a shaft I38, journalled in the frame and driven by a bevelled pinion I40, which meshes with the bevelled pinion I4, heretofore described. It will be noted that the operation of the scraper blade in one direction, namely, the upper direction, is effected by the cam I38. A spring I4! embracing the upper end of the scraper roll shaft and retained In position thereon by a washer I42 serves to maintain the scraper blades normally in their lowermost position and the roller I31 against the cam. By reason of the two part pins lat-I33, the scraper unit may be tilted, as shown in Fig. 3, without interference with the operation of the mechanism which reciprocates the blades.

The material removed from the rolls by the scraper falls to the top of the base I'll and through a conduit I into a reservoir Iiil. A pump 652, operated by a cam I53 on the camshaft i238, returns the ink to the reservoir H85 heretofore de scribed.

' The two decorating units it and it are joined at their upper ends by an adjustable spacing bar to maintain the distance between the units fixed. once the bar has been adjusted. This bar is best -illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 and comprises two members I which are secured to respective units as at ISI. One of the bars is provided with a' pair of slots I63 to enable the bars to be clamped together in an adjusted position bythe clamping bolts IB l carried by the other.

I claim:

1. In a surface decorating machine, a pair of spaced frame members, a shaft supported by one of said frame members, means to rotate said shaft, a second shaft rotatably journalled on said frame members and in axial alignment with said first named shaft, a decorating roll carried by and splined to said second named shaft intermediate said frame members, said second named shaft being removable from said frame members and said roll by an axial movement, and separable means to eifect a driven connection between said shafts when the second named shaft is in position in said roll and frame members.

2. In a surface decorating machine, a pair of spaced frame members, a gear journalled in one of said frame members, a shaft extending through said gear and having a splined connection therewith, said shaft being journalled in the other of said frame members and removable from said frame members and said'gear by an axial movement, a pattern intermediate said frame members and having a splined connection with said shaft, a transfer roll journalled between said frame members, a power-operated driving means, a separable connection between said means and said shaft, and a removable driving connection between said gear and said transfer roll.

3. In a surface decorating machine, a substantially vertically extending pattern roll, a substantially vertically extending transfer roll, a common base for said rolls,driving mechanism carried by said base including a drive shaft in alignment with the axis of the pattern roll, a top frame member disposed above said rolls and secured to the base by a vertically extending .and being splined to said pattern roll, and a separable driving connection between the driving and roll shafts; said roll shaft being withdrawable by axial movement from said base and pattern roll to permit removal of said pattern roll.

4. In a surface decorating machine, a substantially vertically decorating roll, a base for said roll, a top frame member disposed above said roll and secured to the base by a vertically ex-. tending frame member, a roll shaft having its opposite ends journalled in the base and top frame member respectively, said roll shaft passing through and being splined to said pattern roll, driving means mounted on said base, a separable driving connection between the driving means and roll shaft, said roll shaft being separable from said driving means and withdrawable from said base and said pattern roll by an axial movement of said shaft, and means to support said pattern roll in a substantially vertical position when the roll shaft is withdrawn.

5. In a surface decorating machine, upper and lower spaced frame members, a substantially vertically extending pattern roll and a substantially vertically extending transfer roll mounted between said frame members, power operated means mounted beneath said lower frame members, a

shaft journalled in said framemembers and extending axially through said pattern roll, a driving connection between said shaft and saidpower operated means, a driving connection between said shaft and said pattern roll, said transfer roll having a shaft extending upwardly above such roll and the upper frame member, a third shaft extending upwardly from said upper frame member, a gear in axial alignment with and driven by said pattern roll shaft, a supplemental frame, sprockets mounted on the supplemental frame, a drive chain connecting said sprockets, a gear secured to one of said sprockets and adapted and arranged to be driven by the first named gear, said sprockets being adapted and arranged to coact with the transfer roll shaft and the third shaft respectively, and a separable driving connection between the transfer roll shaft and the other sprocket.

6. In a decorating machine, a base, a driving member carried by said base, a vertically extending shaft journalledin said base, a pattern roll mounted on said shaft, a driving connection between said member and said shaft,.means to apply ink to said pattern, a second vertically extending shaft rotatably mounted on said base, a transfer roller mounted on said shaft, a driving connection between said second named shaft and transfer roller, 9, gear at the upper end. of the pattern roll shaft and driven thereby, a yertically extending post supported by said base, a gear on said post and drivingly connected with the first named gear, a. sprocket drivingly secured to second named gear, a sprocket mounted on said transfer'roll shaft, a separable driving connection between said last mentioned sprocket and said transfer roll shaft, a driving connection bemeans to move said units toward and. away from g each other, each unit including a lower frame member engaging said guideway and an upper frame member spaced therefrom, and a substantially vertically extending decorating roll-disposed between and supported by said guideway,

there being an adjustable member extending between the upper'frame members of said units, and means to lock said members in an adjusted position thereby to maintain said decorating rolls a predetermined position apart.

8. In a decorating machine, a frame, a decorating roll carried thereby, means to supply fluid coloring material to said roll, a scraper to remove excess color from one end of said roll, said scraper being pivotally connected to said frame, the axis of said pivot extending in a direction substantially normal to the direction of the axis of the roll, and a the other end of said scraper being releasably connected to said frame whereby said scraper may be rocked aboutits pivot to move the scraper out of alignment and out of contact with the roll.

9. In a decorating machine, a frame, a decorating roll carried thereby, means to supply fluid coloring material to said roll, a movable scraper to remove excess color from said'roll, means to move the scraper out of contact with said roll, one end of said scraper being pivotally connected to said frame, the axis of said pivot extending in a direction substantially normal to the direction of the axis of the roll, and the other end of said scraper being releasably connected to said frame whereby said scraper may be rocked about its" rod secured to the bracket with its axis parallel with the axes of said rolls, a scraper for one of the rolls, resilient means to maintain said scraper in contact with the roll it is adapted to scrape, and a releasable latch for the end of the rod remote from the bracket to enable the scraper to be moved away from the roll last mentioned.

11. In a decorating machine, a frame, a pattern rollcarried thereby, means to supply fluid coloring material to said pattern roll, a transfer roll in peripherial contact with said pattern roll and supported by said frame, a bracket having a pivotal connection with said base, the axis of the pivotal connection extending in a direction substantially normal to the axes of the rolls, a

rod carried by said bracket with its axis normally parallel with the axes of said rolls, a pair of scrapers pivotally and slidably mounted on said. rod, resilient means to swing the scrapers on said' rod and maintain said scrapers in contact with respective rolls, a spring carried by said rod and adapted to move said scrapers in one direction, a pair of pins reciprocably carried by said bracket and engaging respective scrapers, a second pair of pins reciprocably mounted in said frame,

.means to reciprocate said, last named pins, and

a releasable latch adapted and arranged to hold the bracket in a position such that the rod extends parallel with the axes of said rolls and the pins carried thereby are in axial alignment with the pins of the frame.

'12. In a decorating machine, a frame, a pattern roll carried thereby, means to supply fluid coloring material to said pattern roll, a transfer roll in peripherial contact with said pattern roll and supported by said frame, a bracket having a pivotal connection with the base, the -axis of the pivotal connection extending in a direction substantially normal to the axes of the rolls, a

'rod secured to said supplemental frame with its axis normally parallel with the axes of said rolls, a scraper mounted for axial movement on said rod, resilient means to maintain said scrapers in contact with the roll it is adapted to scrape, means to reciprocate the scraper on the rod, a releasable latch adapted and arranged to hold the rod in said normal position, said rod being removable from the bracket when swung out of 5 its normal position.

EDWARD WILLIAM HAMANT. 

